


Draw What You See

by stylesful



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Harry Styles - Freeform, Niall Horan - Freeform, One Direction Imagines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-02-28 21:33:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2747885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stylesful/pseuds/stylesful





	1. Chapter 1

One. 

I could see it. I could finally see it because I was looking with more than just my eyes, and it was wondrous. His beauty marks were stars in the galaxy that was his ink stained skin, each one infinitely bursting, forever exploding with color. His eyes were oceans with unexplored depths because even I, who claimed to know him so well, know only what is just below the surface; because everything else is for him, and just him to know, and I respect that. Science entertains the fact that dimples are a muscular deformation, but I know for sure that the one gracing his left cheek is not a flaw nor a mistake. It is not a flaw nor is it a mistake because imperfection is inevitable and that’s what makes beauty. And oh, his smile. How ever could I have forgotten his smile. It seems to be the sun in this grand, star-speckled space, but comparing it to the sun in our sky would be an injustice; I say this because I assure you it’s much brighter, and to be fair, a thousand times more brilliant. Whether it be the curl of his lips that frame it or the satin-like words that roll off of his tongue, he is beautiful. Every ounce, every inch, every last bit is as beautiful as the next. I wish you knew him the way I do now, so that you too, could understand. So that you could understand how a soul with so many facets can be seemingly figured out, yet still be the spark that ignites such inviolable curiosity. This type of knowing matched with mystery is something an artist desires as they crave discovery; it is something that he or she can only imagine. But not me. I can finally see it and I promise it’s not my imagination, no, this is my reality. This is our reality. I swear to you it’s because of the first thing he ever said to me: Draw what you see.   
~

Yeah, I know it was only a couple of months ago that I figuratively looked each and every one of my classmates in the eyes and said, “good riddance,” but like I said, that was a couple of months ago and this is now. So there I was, shoving the last of my luggage into the trunk of my mom’s not-so-spacious Volvo, wishing with every ounce of myself that I could just unpack and put everything back into my childhood bedroom where it rightfully belongs. Yes, I had gotten into one of the top art schools in the country, and yes, I was finally working towards what would consume the rest of my life. However, I was confused. I don’t think I was scared or nervous… It just felt as if someone had hollowed out my chest and nothing could satisfy the emptiness. My mind was confused as well, except, not so hollow; it felt clouded like it was full of smoke and the more I thought about the change I was about to endure, the more I poured water on the burning coals, the thicker the smoke would get.   
Leaving for school was something that had to happen. Well, there was always the option of becoming a starving artist but my parents would never allow that and to be honest, I would never be able to follow through with it. That was something I was afraid of. The only good thing is that I knew I would soon be surrounded by people who, most likely, saw the world the same way I did. I was an artist, and all my life I had to deal with those who only saw in black and white. I only knew one other person who saw the grey and that was Niall. We were only friends and I vowed to myself to keep it that way but there was something special about him. We talked about Degas’ ballerinas and we jokingly criticized Van Gogh’s often absurd use of color. His mind seemed to work the way mine did when it came to art, and although I already miss him, I cannot wait to be surrounded by people with the same mentality. I know he’ll do well studying Architecture. I just know it.   
“Ariel, you have got to get a move on. The orientation speech for new students starts in three hours and I know that might seem like a lot of time but honey, the traffic going into the city in the morning can’t be reckoned with.” My mom was more into this than I was. Obviously she would be crying three hours from now, but she couldn’t be happier that her daughter made it to college.   
“Yeah you’re way too slow.” My brother, Liam, sighed loudly from our front porch. “But either way you still need to say goodbye to me before you go off and become all grown up.”  
“Ugh shut up I’m not leaving for good, I’ll be back to visit it’s not a big deal.” I tried to recoil without taking his dumb comment about growing up seriously because I didn’t want to hear it. I was going to go to college and have fun. I would make the best of it.   
“Awww come here.” He pulled me into an obnoxious, almost painful bear-hug before ending on a more serious note. “I’m just kidding. You’ll have fun. Alcohol helps. Just stay with the right people. Art students are weird.”   
“Okay.” I felt a lump forming in my throat but I climbed into the back seat of the car and watched everything I knew slowly disappear in the rearview mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

Two. 

The car ride was a daze, as was the endless montage of speeches and presentations about extracurriculars and financial aid. It was, what felt like forever, before my mom pressed her tear-stained cheeks onto the shoulder of my shirt and squeezed me as tight as she possibly could while repeatedly telling me how much she would miss me. My dad was the toughest of the two and he proceeded to hug me in the most loving way a father could before saying goodbye to his almost-grown daughter. He didn’t cry… I don’t think. I would miss them a lot, but Nantucket was only a couple hours away and I knew all I had to do to get home was catch a train...and a bus...and a boat. They would be fine. I would be fine. With that, they left me standing in the middle of my dorm surrounded by suitcases.  
Within an hour I had found a place on my side of the room for all of my belongings. I sat on my new bed with my legs criss-crossed and I looked around. This was my home now. I listened and I could hear a group of guys piling down the hall, obnoxiously laughing and from what I made out, they were talking about who they already have fucked and who they planned on fucking. Isn’t it a little early for that? Then of course, it got me thinking; I’ve never even kissed anyone before. I’ve never been in a relationship and I honestly can’t even say that I’ve experienced unrequited love. Maybe I’ve had a crush that liked the popular girl instead, but that’s it.  
I guess it stuck in my head because I would be spending the next year living in a Co-ed dormitory; boys and girls both. This also meant that each night I would have to make the grueling journey from my dorm to the communal bathroom at the end of the hall in hopes that there wouldn’t be the same bawdy crowd of guys somewhere along the way. My head almost felt like it was in pain because I hadn’t stopped thinking since my parents dropped me off. Reluctantly, I wrapped myself in a towel, slid on my flip-flops, and began my journey to the shower.  
“Hey,” I heard a voice behind me but I ignored it and kept walking. Then I heard it again.  
“You a freshman?”  
I turned around reluctantly to find a stranger trying to catch up to me. He was about my height, with light brown hair swept across his forehead but still restricted by a snapback. Typical to say the least. He stopped about a foot from me and rolled up the sleeves of his sweatshirt revealing clusters of tattoos. The smell of his cologne mixed with the faint scent of marijuana was overpowering.  
“Hi.” I spat, trying to end the conversation there, because after all I was only wearing a bathrobe and my intuition was telling me to leave.  
“...You didn’t answer my question,” He pushed, laughing. His laugh wasn’t friendly though, it was bitter.  
“Yes. I have to go.” I turned to leave feeling remorseless.  
“Name’s Louis, I’ll be in touch.”  
I turned around one last time to see him walking the opposite way, his arms stretched behind his head. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was scowling. I decided I didn’t like Louis, and that was that.


	3. Chapter 3

Three. 

It was the first day of class, and I finally talked to my roommate. Her name was Luna and she did not like to wake up in the morning… Or even go to class for that matter. She skipped the first day. The first highlighted box on my schedule read “Drawing Figure & Form” which translated to “Drawing naked people for four hours at a time.” Luckily my high school art teacher had warned me of what was to come.   
I hadn’t seen Louis since the other night for which I was entirely grateful. He seemed too old to be a freshman so why was he even in my dormitory in the first place? As long as he stayed away everything would be alright. It didn’t take much to realize that art students were… eccentric. But, everything would be alright.   
~  
“Alright class, find an easel. Find a stool. Get out your newsprint paper and charcoal. I was lucky enough to find a live model for our first class and he just so happens to be one of the best we’ve got,” my professor mused. “I think you’ll have fun drawing him.”  
That’s kind of when it hit me that I’d never seen a guy before… naked. I mean I’d seen tons of movies involving nudity but this was entirely different.   
“You don’t mind if I sit next to you, do you?” I turned around to see a girl with purple hair setting her portfolio down next to me. “I’m Quinn.”  
“Not at all,” I replied, relieved that someone introduced herself to me before I had to. “I’m Ariel.”  
“Oh that’s a cool name! Mine’s pretty boring… but besides that I just hope this guy is hot,” Quinn continued while she set up her sketch pad. “I took this class in a pre-college program and not once did we get a model that was even remotely attractive.”  
“Yeah-” I was interrupted by the professor.   
“Talking time is over, the first poses will be gestures. 30 seconds each. Try your best.”  
I fiddled with the pieces of charcoal in my hand, too nervous to look up. I knew this class would be awkward, being that my artistic ability would be judged on how well I could translate the strangers body in front of me from life to my paper.   
I was 18. I needed to grow up. I peeked around the side of my easel to see a guy, probably around 6 feet tall, standing before the platform in the center of the room with a timer in his hand. He was wearing a navy blue robe, and assumingly nothing underneath. His neck was adorned with a cross pendant hanging from a silver chain and that was it.   
“30 seconds?” The model turned towards the professor.   
“Yup, we’ll do 5 minutes of gestures to get them warmed up.”   
“Sounds good,” He replied smugly, sporting a proud smile accompanied by a dimple in his left cheek. His voice was deep and filtered by a thick accent. I heard the beep of a timer and before I had time to react, there was the sound of clothing hitting the floor. I tried not to look like I was gawking, but instead observing for the sake of art. But, being human is something I can’t control. He stood in the center of the platform with his arms crossed and his weight focused on the right side. Slowly, his chest rose and fell. Along his abdomen were various tattoos, as well as along his arm and side. In fact, there were tattoos everywhere. His brown hair just touched the base of his neck where it curled in every which direction. I didn’t know where to begin. I was a prodigy all my life and now here I was utterly lost.   
I must have looked awfully flustered because I hadn’t touched my paper yet and he had already switched poses. Now he was facing me and I had a crystal-clear view of everything. A full frontal, of course. I peeked out from behind my easel once again in an attempt to get an idea of what to draw. Without moving his body, his eyes glanced down at my own. I felt my breath hitch in my throat when he didn’t look away. I turned back to my paper but I could feel him staring, and from the corner of my eye, so was Quinn.   
With the corners of his mouth turned up ever-so-slightly he spoke, “Draw what you see.”


	4. Chapter 4

Four. 

It was nearly the end of the week and I had only talked to Quinn. At least I had someone, right? My roommate, Luna, barely spoke to anyone so I didn’t blame myself for that one. But back to Quinn. She was really nice, actually. Aside from the purple hair she didn’t exactly fit the stereotypical art student mold. We had a similar music taste and a lot of what I liked was fairly mainstream, plus she didn’t have any piercings or tattoos. Also she was a transfer so she had some experience being that she had already spent a year in college.  
Between classes, which we luckily always seemed to have together, she introduced me to a friend of hers who was a painting major like herself. His name was Zayn. He was pretty tall, but he didn’t tower over us like that model from my drawing class did. He was really attractive though. His eyes were what seemed to be a dark brown but in certain light almost looked hazel, and his hair was also dark and rather long. He had an overall darker complexion and his quiet personality matched it well.  
“Do you want to meet Zayn and I for lunch?” Quinn asked.  
“Sure, I don’t have anyone else to eat with,” I laughed at myself. “And Zayn seems nice.”  
“Yeah he’s genuine. He’s not like the guys you’d expect to meet in college.” She spoke about him with conviction. “I trust him.”  
We got to the cafeteria and sat down while Zayn made his way to our table. He was wearing an oversized black sweater and something about him just seemed warm.  
“Quinn, Ariel.” He smiled softly, turning to me. “We haven’t talked much, how do you like it here so far?”  
“It’s only been a week but I guess it’s not too bad,” I tried to sound enthusiastic.  
“Yeah it’ll get better, I promise. I don’t know much about the fashion major but you’re talented. You’ll get the hang of it.”  
“I hope so.” I half-smiled and looked back down at my unappetizing food.  
“I know you will,” he said kindly, looking past Quinn and I. “Oh and guys, I hope you don’t mind I invited my friend to join us.  
“Of course not!” Quinn didn’t bother look up, as she was totally engulfed in her lunch.  
“Harry! Over here,” Zayn called over our shoulders.  
I turned around to see who he was yelling for and I saw a familiar face. A familiar face framed with nearly shoulder length, dark-brown hair that just touched the chain of a gold cross necklace. I felt my heart in my chest thumping harder than it had been before, almost choking on the food in my mouth. I’ve seen this guy naked. Not only have I seen him posing nude, but he looked me dead in the eyes while doing so.  
He sat down next to Zayn and across from me, setting his denim jacket down on the back of the chair.  
“Hello.” He said with a crooked smile, scanning over Quinn and I. “I don’t think we’ve met.”  
“Hey are you one of those models for the drawing classes here?” Quinn blurted out, ignoring him.  
“Oh so maybe we have met before,” He chuckled to himself, smugly. “Quite an introduction.”  
“Yeah you modeled for our class on Monday!” She said excitedly. “I’m Quinn by the way, and this is Ariel.”  
“Ariel.” He spoke slowly, his accent and deep voice dragging out the syllables, while his gaze focused steadily on me. “Like the mermaid.”  
“No, just Ariel.” Everyone thought I was named after a Disney princess when I was actually named after my grandmother. “It’s a family name.”  
“I see.” Harry looked at me a second longer, his eyes squinting slightly. “Oh! I remember you. You were in that Monday class too. You couldn’t stop blushing.”  
I didn’t answer.  
“It’s alright, maybe we can get even and you can model for me sometime?”  
“What?” Not another asshole.  
“No, no. That didn’t sound right.” He ran his ring-adorned fingers through his hair, furrowing his brows. “I didn’t-”  
“Harry majors in photography.” Zayn interrupted with a tone that seemed totally unsurprised. “Not comedy.”  
Harry pretended to be offended, but only pretended, because he too seemed to know that he wasn’t funny.  
“Ah, well I should go.” Harry looked at Quinn and I, nodding. “Quinn, Ariel, this was nice. Let’s do it again sometime.” With that, he stood up from his seat, ruffled Zayn’s hair, and walked off.


	5. Chapter 5

Five.

I was thinking to myself and I realized that it was nice to know a couple of people already. In fact, I almost considered myself lucky. You see, in high school I had a couple of friends too but that happened over the course of four years; not just a few days. Yet, here I was. I was in a good place. I was content. Zayn is really sweet, and Quinn is certainly unique but we get along well. Harry. Harry is certainly unique, not just physically. Not just because of the tattoos splattered across his body and not just because of those outlandish green eyes of his. No, he is unique in every sense of the word, I think. I barely know him but I can tell he defines eccentricity. After all, would he be a true art student if he didn’t?   
But now, I had to try and find my English class. A class I was reluctant to take even though I loved to read and write; I preferred doing those things on my own time. Unfortunately it was one of the foundation year classes for fashion. Quinn and Zayn had parted ways before it occurred to me that I had no idea where I was going. Who to ask…  
From the corner of my eye I thought I saw someone familiar… It just so happened to be Harry. Funny. He had pulled his hair back into a small bun, which oddly enough, he pulled off really well. Over his shirt he now wore a navy blue trench coat, reminding me of the robe he wore before baring all in drawing class. He was so tall. On anyone else that coat would be down to their knees.  
“You looking for something?” A voice snapped my eyes back into focus. I looked away from my steady gaze to find Harry standing just a couple of feet from me. I could’ve sworn he was no where near me before.   
“Um well kinda-”  
“You were staring at me, you know, so I thought I’d investigate.” He wore this stupid smirk on his lips; he got a kick out of himself. “Since I’m not even modeling right now I guess I was just a tad suspicious-”  
“I was just staring off into space, I don’t know I do that a lot.” I cut him off.   
“You’re almost funnier than me.” He was smiling now, seemingly trying to hold back a laugh.   
“Almost.” I said sarcastically.   
“So.” He crossed his arms waiting for me to speak.   
“So I can’t find my English class and I only have a few minutes left to get there and I cannot be la-” He put an index finger to my lips to stop me from talking and I flinched.  
“North Hall. That’s the only place I’ve ever had an English class. You’ve probably got Professor McCarthy.” He removed his hand from its position before my face, unphased by the fact that he barely knew me. The grin on his face now was no longer trying to hold back a laugh, but rather, was satisfactory. “You’ll probably have to run there to make it on time. Or should I say swim.”  
I furrowed my brows.   
“Ha! That was good. See you ‘round, Ariel.” He waved once before turning on the heel of his boot and walking away.   
In all honesty, I’d never met anyone like Harry before. I couldn’t decide if I liked him yet, though.  
After English I took my time. I waited for the crowd of students pushing through the doorway to clear, then I made my way through the hall and down the now empty staircase.   
“Do you like coffee?” Harry turned the quickly turned the corner, nearly knocking me over.   
“I’m sorry?”   
“I was curious to know whether you like coffee or not? Wine, maybe? But that’s my inner-art student speaking.” He was still wearing that blue trench coat and his hands were in his pockets as he leaned against the wall. “You could prefer a juice-box for all I know.”   
“I like coffee. Wine is alright. Um.. Can I ask why?” I tried not to sound rude, just curious. I mean, I was, after all.   
“Well you’re new, you’re in New York now, and quite frankly, I feel it would only be practical for me to show you around.” He spoke with such eloquence I wondered if he was actually 20 years old. “You’re probably thinking ‘I barely know you why are you talking to me,’ but that’s precisely it. I don’t know you and it would be my pleasure to change that.”  
“Um-”  
He looked down at the floor in an attempt to hide his smile before looking back up at me again, awaiting an answer. I didn’t know what to say. Liam told me a million times to be careful with people in college, being my older brother and all. He was right, of course, but Harry didn’t evoke any worrying. My intuition would tell me if he was worth being careful around, and right now it was silent.   
“I insist.” He playfully elbowed my arm, flashing an over-enthusiastic grin and wide eyes.   
“I- Okay.” I muttered.   
“Ah, see! That wasn’t difficult.” He looked genuinely excited. Thrilled, actually. He had one of those smiles that spread from his lips, to his cheeks, to his eyes. His entire face lit up. “Saturday. That’s when we’ll go. And about that coffee... I know a place. Meet me outside the library around 6.”  
“In the morning?” I asked.   
“Ariel, Ariel, Ariel. We’ll need all day and even that won’t be enough time. New York City is a big place.” With that, he turned and left. Okay.   
~  
I walked back to my room in the cold, hoping not to run into anyone. It was already 9 PM. It was chillier outside than it had been previous nights, so the air smelled clean. It smelled fresh and crisp just like it did back home, which was certainly a first being that I was in the city now. Even though I couldn’t see any stars, it really was a beautiful night. I was content.   
My phone vibrated in my pocket as I got to my dorm. It was Liam.   
“Hey!” He sounded tired. You’d think my mom made him call me because she wants her children to keep in touch but that was just his nature. “How’s college?”  
“It’s fine, nothing exciting.”   
“You sound miserable. It can’t be that bad. Did you make friends yet or all they all too weird for you?”  
“Not everyone here is a weirdo like you think. I did meet a couple of people actually,” I tried to sound convincing. “I met Quinn who is really nice, then there’s Zayn. They’re both painting majors.”  
“How do you get a job in painting-”   
“Don’t be rude they’re nice.” I snapped.   
“Anyway have you gone to any parties? Gotten drunk yet?”   
“No!” With as protective as he was, he put a lot of energy into getting me out of the house. “You know I don’t do that. Mom would kill me anyway.”  
“You think she knows about half the parties I go to?” He was laughing on the other line. “Besides that is there anything else? Anyone else?” He put emphasis on the ‘anyone.’  
“I’m not talking to you about that.”   
“C’mon I got a girlfriend in college and we met within the first week. Is there anyone there who has met your standards?”  
“I just said I wasn’t talking to you about that. If you ask again I’m hanging up. And for the record, no. There’s no one.”   
“Ha ok, whatever. Just be careful. There are some crazy people out there.”   
“I know, I’m not a little kid. Can you put mom on the phone?”  
“She went to bed early and dad won’t be in ‘till later. I’ll just tell her to call you in the morning.” He yawned.   
“Okay, talk to you later.”  
“Bye.” He hung up.   
Usually I laid in bed for hours before actually falling asleep because I’d sit there on my phone. This time I turned my phone off and placed it on my nightstand. My dorm was completely dark and my roommate hadn’t come back yet, so I stared at the ceiling in silence. I wasn’t tired, not one bit. In fact, I was wide awake and I was thinking. I was thinking about homework I had to finish and where my roommate was at the time, but I was mostly thinking about Saturday.


	6. Chapter 6

Six. 

It was Saturday. It was also too early to be awake, but I finally had plans and I wasn’t about to turn them down. I didn’t know why Harry was so nice to me, I guess that was just his character. We were just taking a platonic trip to the city together and I wasn’t in any position to be questioning. It wouldn’t be awkward, or weird. It wouldn’t. After getting dressed and making sure my face was presentable, I walked to the library.  
“Well hello, Ariel. How are you this morning, might I ask?” Harry appeared, seemingly out of the blue, in his navy trench and scarf. His hair was pulled back this time. It looked nice.  
“Hi, I’m good just tired, um… So where are we-” He cut me off mid-sentence.  
“No time for questions. You’ll see once we get there. Besides, a spoken description will pale in comparison to the actual things.” He sounded like an over-enthusiastic tour-guide. “We’ll be taking the subway since it’s it a bit chilly this morning.”   
I nodded at him, flashing a small smile to hide my nerves. I barely knew him and I had not a single clue where we were going. I wasn’t even worried about what my parents would think, I just knew that my brother would kill me. A crisp gust of wind whipped around the buildings and hit me before I could pull my scarf up to my nose. I lost my train of thought and before I knew it we were heading down a flight of gum-plastered stairs to the 4 Train.   
I thought I had lost Harry in the crowd of people on the platform until I felt a large hand grasp my arm. I felt a scream rising in my throat until I turned around to see Harry’s frantic yet excited smile.   
“Come on or we’ll miss it!” He yelled over the noise, the deepness of his voice and heavy accent disappearing for a split second.   
I picked up my pace to his aid, and we just made it. The train was full and despite the plunging temperature outside, the tightly packed bodies made the traincar horribly hot. Harry had let go of my arm but was standing standing close behind me; there was no room anywhere else. Before I had to chance to grab onto a bar the train quickly jolted to a full speed. Losing my balance I stumbled backward into a body that hadn’t even flinched. I felt a pair of arms catch my fall.  
“Easy there, we haven’t even gone on our first date and you’re already all over me?” I quickly regained my balance to find Harry with his hands comfortably back in his pockets and smirk on his face. The more I was around him the more of a smart-ass he became. Naturally, I decided to fire back.   
“Please. I’m sure it’s the most action you’ve seen in a while.” I turned my head away from him but out of the corner of my eye I saw him raise his eyebrows. He was speechless and trying to hide his smile but to no avail.   
As each stop came and went, a number of people piled through the sliding metal doors of the train car. Eventually there were seats available, so Harry and I sat down; we were uncomfortably close to both each other and the strangers around us.  
“So, have you ever been to New York City before?” He asked, turning to face me. I could hardly hear him over the screeching of the rails and the group of men singing for change.  
“Yeah, when I was younger. I just never got the chance to really explore it. When I came I was with family so my brother and I did whatever my parents wanted to do.” I noticed the way he looked at me when I spoke. His eyes were drawn to my lips as if to read them, but they darted from there to my nose and finally to my eyes. He looked genuinely interested in what I had to say and that didn’t happen to me very often.  
“Well, now you’re here alone. You can do whatever your heart desires,” he said with lingering smirk. Catching another sense of his inappropriate humor, I couldn’t help but smile and stifle a laugh. “What do you want to see?”  
I let out a deep sigh and looked at my shoes. There was so much. There were so many things I wanted to do here. In fact, there was too much, most of which I knew absolutely nothing about. Harry said it himself, New York City was a big place. “I want to visit every museum in the city. I want to find the best place for each kind of food. I want to see the sun rise and set from the Brooklyn Bridge,” I stated as I turned my face back from my shoes to his eyes. “I mean, of course there’s more, I just can’t remember them all right now.”  
“No, those are good ones. When you remember let me know because maybe, just maybe I can help?” he asked in a sincere tone. In unison, we both turned our faces from each other and looked at the ads plastered all over the train walls. I watched the graffiti on the walls of the tunnel spell out words as the train flew through them, then disappearing as we reached another stop. Another mob of people pushed their way into the train.   
I noticed that an older woman was having a difficult time getting through the crowd; you’d think people would move for her, but I guess that’s just wishful thinking. Almost instinctively, Harry stood up and led her to where he previously sat. Once she sat down I saw her peer up at him with a certain warmth in her eyes. Something told me she wasn’t treated that kindly very often and that thought alone broke my heart. Harry locked his fingers around the metal bar above us before he looked at the old woman and smiled appreciatively.   
There was something about the way he smiled. I’m not exactly sure what it was. I fully understand that, yes, everyone smiles. Sometimes though, people smile because they are forcing it or because they want to seem like they are having a good time but aren’t. It’s tough to explain but we’ve all done it. The thing with Harry is that when he smiles you just know that he absolutely, 100% means it with every last bit of himself. When he smiles he doesn’t do it as a cover up and he doesn’t do it to prove a point. He smiles because that’s his way of telling the truth, even in a world of deceit and misconception. This is merely what I believe, but what can I say? He loves life.


	7. Chapter 7

We walked side by side down Park Avenue. There weren’t many people, but I wasn’t all that surprised. The cars that lined this street resembled something out of a dream; before coming here I honestly hadn’t believed people drove around Bentleys and Ferraris the same way I drove my yellow Volkswagen. I was evidently so preoccupied by the opulence around me that I forgot I wasn’t alone. I peered over at Harry by my side and unlike the other city-goers, his eyebrows weren’t furrowed and his chin was up. He looked so incredibly content. He didn’t look ecstatic and he didn’t look angry. Like I said, he looked perfectly content with whatever was going on the concrete jungle around him and it was nice. I looked away and back at the cars.   
“Nice, huh?”   
“What?” I was pulled, all too soon, back to reality.  
“I noticed you looking around at everything, marveling, and I’ll have to agree with you on that. Park Avenue is quite the place.” Harry said.  
“Oh, yeah… I can’t believe the cars though. And I mean, compared to where we got on the subway this is like a different city.”  
“Isn’t it something?” He cracked a small smile, fascinated. “I’ve always dreamt of living here out of college, someday. You know, with the right person doing the right thing. I like that idea.”  
“It would be a miracle if someday I could call this home… It’s just crazy.” I said, returning my glance to the cars. “It just seems surreal... To live like that in one of the biggest cities in the world.”  
“That’s the thing, though… I would be content here, even without all the grandeur.” He paused to gather his thoughts. “New York City is huge, yes, but it doesn’t make me feel small. In fact, it makes me feel like I can do anything, be anything, even if that thing is larger than life.” He grinned looking down at the ground, proud of himself.   
“I never thought about it like that. I guess you’re right.”   
He nudged his shoulder into me still smiling and proud. We didn’t say anything after that. It was nice. 

~

It turns out he was taking me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I have to say, I wasn’t surprised; not even a bit. I had never been there before and I promise nothing I tell you, not even with the most elaborately structured sentences, could possibly do this grand structure an ounce of justice. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. I’m sure once I sight-see more it may move further down my list of wondrous things but this is only the beginning of my adventure. 

Anyway that’s enough of the building. My mom used to mock me for my almost humorously ridiculous attentiveness to detail and I’m starting to understand why. Okay. I’ll shut up about that. Harry told me beforehand that it would take at least a week to cover the entire museum but upon getting to the ticket counter he didn’t even pick up a map. As soon as the tickets were in our hands and our day-pass stickers were on our shirts we were off.   
“Do you have any ideas of where you’d like to start?” He asked without turning away otherwise he would bump into the already crowded building. “What’s your favorite time period?”  
“I’m not sure I mean, I didn’t learn much about art in high school and I’m not far enough into Art History yet to have a favorite-”   
“I think you’d like Early and Northern Renaissance.” He glanced at me then back to where he was walking, deep in thought.  
“Why?”  
“You don’t strike me as someone who wants to know the basics of it all…” He stopped to think. “But you also don’t seem to be too keen of all that modern bullshit. I’m sensing a happy medium.”  
I nodded, indifferent.   
“I just feel as though with a major like yours you must love to really look at things and see more than what’s actually there… Which is why I chose the Early and Northern Renaissance. Most people miss what’s actually there.” His tone sounded more excited now. “Not to mention it’s my favorite as well.”   
He linked his arm with mine to ensure I didn’t get lost and before I knew it we were somewhere on the second floor and surrounded by paintings. I turned to see Harry looking around the room with the biggest smile on his face. I’ve never seen such adoration and light in a person’s eyes. Such passion. I could see why, though. This artwork was stunning; most of the canvases were taller than me and no matter how close I got to them (without security shooing me away) I still couldn’t make out a single brush stroke.   
I found myself standing before a smaller piece, probably about a foot tall, and according to the name plate it was called a diptych. It was two wooden frames with paintings in the middle and the entirety of the piece was behind a thick layer of glass. Although it was so small, this frame was like a portal. I felt like I was looking through a window into some other world. Then again, I think that must have been the purpose… The detail was so breathtaking and each of the faces of the people portrayed gave way to their individual emotions. Jan van Eyck, Northern Renaissance… I read the rest of the name plate under my breath. Out of the corner of my eye I think I saw Harry watching me but I continued reading.   
“Interesting.” Harry came up beside me and I jumped. “ Jan van Eyck is one of my favorites as well.”  
“I was just-” I was slightly embarrassed.   
“No need to defend yourself.” A slight smile crept into his countenance. “This is fine, classical art. I saw the way you were looking at it and Ariel, all I have to say is that you have an exquisite taste.” He playfully nudged my arm.   
“Thanks,” I tried not to sound dumb. “I just admire things like this. I wish art was still something people put this kind of effort into. Not only that, but I wish people took the time to actually look at art, rather than just take a picture of it and never glance at it again.”  
“Well said.” He nodded at me approvingly, a proud expression taking over his features. “Now let’s move on to the next section.”   
We walked for a few hours, roughly. I kind of lost track of time. I wasn’t my normal self, thinking and worrying about everything that was to come. I was, in a way, lost in the moment. Harry and I discoursed about all sorts of things whether it be the artwork before us or a poorly made joke he cracked. This version of himself was still new to me, as was every aspect, but it seemed so utterly different from the man who modeled for my class. He smiled a whole lot. The only real similarity was his beauty, and I’m not afraid to admit that.   
“I think it’s about time for that coffee I mentioned.” He started down the steps in front of The Met. “Have you ever been to Brooklyn?”  
“I haven’t, but Quinn was telling me about it… She was talking about a place called Williamsburg.”   
“Well, Ariel, that happens to be exactly where we’re going. There’s a coffee shop right off the main strip called ‘Toby’s Estate’. Easily my favorite.”  
“I’m a sucker for a good cup of coffee so you’re lucky.”  
“I must be doing pretty well, then.” He turned to face me. “First I picked out Renaissance art for you and now this?”  
“Ha yes, so far so good.” I laughed.  
“We better get going then, it’s quite a ride from here to Toby’s.”   
“I should probably go to the bathroom first, I’ll be fast.” I hurried back up the steps.   
I was only a few minutes, not even, but when I came back outside Harry was no where to be seen. From the top of the steps I could see everything. Everything except for him. There were tons of visitors and tourists sitting beside the fountain and on the steps, but no Harry. I made my way to the bottom and eventually noticed him sitting at a small table in the shade of a tree.  
I didn’t call out to him because I wanted to take it in for a minute. It was so peculiar, the way he mannerisms changed when he knew he wasn’t being looked at. When he modeled, he had this sort of sternness that couldn’t be reckoned with. He looked the way a model should look; slightly pretentious, almost stoic and extremely self-aware. But how he sat there in the shade of that tree, relaxing his weight into the back of his chair, he was unrecognizable. He looked so friendly, so lovely, as if that modelesque wall he built around himself was virtually demolished and all that was left was this soft, pure interior. I don’t know what it was. I don’t think innocent would be the right word to use. I don’t think that any word in my vocabulary could describe the way he looked sitting there. Or maybe it wasn’t a fault in my vocabulary. Maybe it was my head swimming because the longer I looked at him the deeper the water became.   
I started towards him but before I reached the table he broke his mindless stare and noticed me. He smiled his usual crooked smile, stood up from his seat, and gestured for me to follow him. That was that.   
~

It took more transfers than I expected, but the ride to Williamsburg was alright. The trains weren’t too crowded this time. We walked down Bedford Avenue, side by side. I used this few minutes to really look around and it was evident as to why Harry must love it here. Everything was built in a way that exemplified the breaking of boundaries. Whether it be the eccentric names of the shops and restaurants or the vibrant graffiti, everything seemed limitless. I like to think that Harry has a similar mentality; not just about art, either.   
We reached a small shop, the front entirely glass, and Harry held the door open for me.   
“If you find us a table I’ll order.” He said eagerly. “I’m thinking something simple to start you off. That is, unless you’re a bit more daring than I’m giving you credit for.”   
“I wouldn’t say daring but maybe somewhere in between. You can choose. If it’s coffee I’ll drink it.”   
“Fair enough, it’ll be a surprise then, Ariel.” He winked, crossed his arms and turned towards the counter.  
I would lying if I didn’t note that he’s quite the character and it only took a day to figure that out. Anyway, I found a small round table towards the front corner of the shop, right by that huge window. It was such a cute place, with the shelves up to the ceiling stocked with various trinkets and the warm lighting. I was lost in the atmosphere when Harry sat down across from me.   
“For you, Ms. Ariel.” He set a cup and saucer down before me that held a beverage almost too pretty to drink. “A classic Latte because you simply cannot go wrong with that.”  
“Why thank you, Mr…?”   
“Ah, that would be Styles.” He said, shaking off his coat. “And you?”  
“Payne. Ariel Payne.” I took a sip of my drink, burning my tongue.   
“Careful, there,” he noticed my twisted expression but laughed a little.   
I scowled at him from across the tiny table. “Alright, so if you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?”  
“Cheshire, over in England.”  
“Why would you choose to come all the way to New York? You’re so far from home...”  
“Yeah, I am. It’s kind of a long story. I mean, I like to say I was dealt a lucky hand.” He answered before taking a sip of his coffee.  
“You kept up with me all day. I owe it to you to listen to what you have to say.”   
He brought the cup to his lips using both hands, and obnoxiously sipped. He raised his eyebrows and stared back at me as he drank, avoiding the topic.   
“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” I teased.  
“You know Ariel, it would be a shame if that latte got cold.” He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.   
“You are just so funny, I can’t take it.”   
“I’m glad you see it, I was getting worried there for a second.” He sat back up and put his elbows on the table. “Let’s talk about something else.”   
So we did. We talked about our majors and we talked about what we liked besides college. He showed me some of his photography; or at least what he could access from his phone. He was so curious to see my sketches and not the least bit judgemental of the fact that I was in fashion. We kept it light-hearted, leaving out the more bleak details. Every now and again his eyes would wander off. I couldn’t tell if he was staring into space, peering over my shoulder, or maybe he was looking at my lips. No. Probably staring into space. We stayed at Toby’s until dark, then made our way back to the city.   
“Well, I’m not sure about you but I had a delightful time.” Harry turned to face me as we stopped in front of my dormitory, that crooked, half-grin showing shamelessly under the street lights.   
“I’ll think I might have to concur.” I tried to match his showy eloquence to no avail, but I did earn a giggle.   
“I’m grateful that I can say I was the one to show you around. We’ve only gone two places, but it was a nice start. The weather, The Met, the coffee…” He paused briefly. “You. All so lovely.”   
I don’t know if he could see me blushing but if he did he didn’t stop to make a joke of it. Instead, he hugged me. He adjusted himself to my height, wrapped each arm around the top of my shoulders and next to my neck, and he really hugged me. I guess normally I would stand there, awkward and stiff as a board, if someone hugged me so bravely. But he was warm and I didn’t feel awkward in his arms so I wrapped my own around his waist. It was one of those hugs where even though physically you’re 100% there, you feel like your body is being held together; like their embrace was simple yet so strong and aware.   
I began to pull away instinctively, feeling his necklace that was pressed against my cheek leave slight indentation.   
“Wait.” He said softly, holding on just a few seconds longer.  
I couldn’t help but smile a little. I never knew anyone like him before. Ever.  
“Alright.” He moved back ever-so-slightly. “Goodnight, Ariel.”  
“Goodnight, Harry.”


End file.
